Keeping Score on Teamwork

Action, adrenaline and adversity. These are no strangers to any athlete and you can find those in spades in SMU Floorball. It is the love for the sport that led them to join, and the strong sense of community that makes them to stay.

How does SMU Floorball tackle the fast-paced sport, while balancing their school and personal commitments? We caught up with SMU Floorball President Hamzah, goalkeeper Bryan, new player Deborah and team captains Syidah and Zheng Huan, to find out more.

What motivated you to join Floorball?

Hamzah (H): Floorball is my favourite sport! What’s so great about SMU Floorball is the strong sense of community and cohesiveness. Everyone is there for each other and we support each other.

Zheng Huan (Z): When I first joined, the seniors were really friendly and approachable, which is a huge reason why I decided to stay. I’ve been playing floorball for 10 years and it’s been amazing all this while.

Deborah (D): It was a great place for me to try out the sport. And the people on the team make it worthwhile to keep playing.

What is the biggest challenge you’ve experienced in SMU Floorball? How did you overcome it?

Bryan (B): You really feel the pressure of letting down the team, especially if you’re a goalkeeper. For the stick players, if they don’t score, there is always another chance to later in the game. For the goalkeeper, if I let a goal in, it is permanent. What I do to overcome this is to tell myself that every goal creates a new game. When someone scores against me, I don’t think about the past or future goals. I take it as a fresh start and a new game.

Syidah (S): During intense moments of the game, I tend to become a little scared and I lose the guts to speak up to my members. I believe the more I train, the more experienced I become, the greater my confidence the next time I compete.

D: The fear of letting down the team adds to the pressure to perform in competitions. I’ve realised pressure will always be there and it’s about how you manage it. It also gets easier with experience!

Deborah and Hamzah

What is the most memorable moment during your time in SMU Floorball?

D: Being a new player, whenever I manage to score a goal in a competition is a satisfying achievement for me! It is still intimidating whenever I am in a position to score and when I do, it feels great because I did my team proud.

Z: During the 2014 SUniG (Singapore University Games), our team was up against the NTU (Nanyang Technological University) team, who was the favourite to win, while we were the underdogs. We managed to win 2-1, a record for our club and a huge achievement!

H: Building onto Zheng Huan’s experience at SUniG 2014, we were the joint top team for the first time in so many years. We became on par with NTU and SIM (Singapore Institute of Management), which have always been the top floorball teams. So this was quite a breakthrough for us!

S: Competing in SUniG 2015 was really gratifying! I could showcase all the hard work and training I put in and represent SMU.

B: There is one goal that I will always remember. A player was about to shoot but I couldn’t see where the ball was. I instinctively shot out my left hand and the ball flew straight in. It was a goal that neither my coach nor myself had expected to save, but I did!

What is the most important takeaway you’ve had from SMU Floorball?

S: Commitment. Committing to a sport, or any initiative, challenges you to focus, be disciplined and have better time management.

B: One game does not make the season.

D: Communication. Knowing how to communicate with your team on the court will lead to a better performance. Similarly at school or work, you need to communicate with people effectively to get the job done right.

H: Be there for your teammates, especially those who are new to the sports. Support your friends and teammates and ease their transition into the sport.

Bryan and Syidah

What is one piece of advice for your peers starting a new sport, initiative or project?

B: Make sure you can commit. Don’t start something only to give it up 1 or 2 months later.

Z: Find fun in the things you do! Even if it’s not pleasant, as long as you find some enjoyment, you can push through.

H: Do not give up. Challenges are inevitable when you are placed in an unfamiliar situation. Stay confident and have faith that you can achieve something in the end.

S: Whatever you do, let it be something you enjoy. The hardships and struggles will make it all the more worthwhile.

SMU Floorball team aims further their passion in the sport and achieve a greater performance in the upcoming SUniG! In addition to sporting events, SMU Floorball engages in community outreach projects and club bonding activities. Check out what this fun-loving, close-knit club is up to next on their Facebook page!